JPH0329690B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse, in which product shelves do not move and an arm for taking out items moves at a higher speed.

<Prior Art> An automatic warehouse is a device that can align an arm with a shelf at a target address based on an input signal, and can take out articles from the shelf.

Broadly speaking, this device can be divided into two types: one in which the shelf moves, and the other in which the shelf is fixed and the arm moves.

Although the present invention uses a system in which the arm moves, conventional devices of this type employ a structure in which a crane is provided in front of the shelf and the crane is moved to take out the items.

<Problems to be Solved by the Present Invention> However, although the above method is suitable for slowly picking up and transporting heavy automobile parts, etc., it is difficult to quickly extract and transport a large number of items. It is not suitable for equipment that searches for, transports, and takes out at high speed.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 49-2274 discloses that a weight is suspended from the end of a hanging wire of an elevating frame to balance the weight and move the elevating frame up and down.

However, with this type of elevating means, if an attempt is made to raise the elevating platform at a speed faster than the natural falling speed of the weight, not only will excessive tension be applied to the members suspending the elevating platform, but the weight will loss of function.

Furthermore, when the moving platform stopped,
There is a risk that excessive tension will be applied to the member suspending the weight due to the inertia of the weight, causing it to break.

As described above, with the conventional lifting/lowering technology, it is difficult to increase the lifting/lowering speed.

<Objective of the present invention> The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide an automated warehouse suitable for high-speed operation.

<Configuration of the present invention> Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

<A> Article Shelf The article shelf 1 of the present invention is a shelf that is fixed on the floor and does not move.

The interior of the goods shelf 1 is divided into a plurality of rooms by partitions, and containers K as shown in FIG. 4 are located inside each room.

The container K is a box with only the top open, for storing articles.

A handle K1 is formed on the front surface of the container K, and this handle K1 is formed in the shape of a groove with only the lower surface open.

<B> Lifting rail The lifting rail 2 connects the front of the goods shelf 1 to the goods shelf 1.
It is a rail that can be raised and lowered parallel to the

In order to raise and lower the lifting rail 2, the goods shelf 1
Vertical guides 21 are provided at both ends.

And rollers 2 are placed above and below each vertical guide 21.
3 is attached to the roller 23, and an annular drive belt 22 is attached to this roller 23 in parallel with the vertical guide 21 so as to be freely rotatable.

In this way, both ends of the horizontal rail are fixed to the annular drive belts 22 provided on both sides of the article shelf 1, thereby forming the elevating rail 2.

The rotation from the lifting servo motor M1 is transmitted to the roller 23 around which the drive belt 22 is wound.

Currently manufactured servo motors can be controlled at extremely small angles, so by inputting a signal to this servo motor M1, the lifting rail 2 can be raised and lowered to an accurate height.
It can also be stopped at a precise position.

<C> Sliding mount A pulley mount 3 is mounted on the elevating rail 2 so that it can run freely.

As shown in FIG. 3, rollers 32 are attached to both ends of the elevating rail 2, and an annular belt 31 is attached to the rollers 32 so as to be freely rotatable in the horizontal direction.

The lower part of the sliding frame 3 is connected to this belt 31.
The sliding pedestal 3 is configured to be able to run horizontally on the rail as the belt 31 rotates.

On the roller 32 around which the belt 31 is wrapped,
Transmits rotation from horizontal travel servo motor M2.

Therefore, by inputting a signal to this servo motor, it is possible to move the sliding frame 3 to an accurate position and also to accurately stop it.

<D> Rotating Arm A rotating arm 4 and a rotating servo motor M3 are mounted on the sliding frame 3.

The rotating arm 4 is fixed to a vertical rotating shaft 41 attached to the sliding frame 3.

This rotating shaft 41 is equipped with a rotating servo motor M3.
The rotation is transmitted through a group of gears 42.

Therefore, the rotating arm 4 accurately rotates by a predetermined angle in accordance with the signal input to the rotating servo motor M3.

<H> Forward and backward movement of the truck A hook truck 5 is mounted on the rotating arm 4.

This hook truck 5 is a truck having a hook 52 formed at its tip, and is movable in the front and rear directions on the rotating arm 4.

The hook truck 5 moves forward after the rotary arm 4 rotates by a predetermined angle, and immediately retreats.

For this purpose, a servo motor M4 for moving the hook truck 5 back and forth is attached to the rotating arm 4.

By the forward and reverse rotation of the belt 51 which transmits the rotation of the shaft of the forward and backward servo motor M4, the hook truck 5 moves forward by a precise distance and immediately retreats to its original position.

<F> Control device The control device sets the rotation angle and gives start and stop signals to the four types of servo motors mentioned above.

A known commercially available computer is used as this control device.

As a result, the hook truck 5 on the rotary arm 4 can reach a predetermined partition and the containers inside the shelves can be taken out and carried out to a predetermined outlet 6.

<G> Counterweight A total of four rollers 71 are installed at both upper and lower ends of the side surface of the goods shelf 1, two at a time with an interval between them.

Then, an annular belt 72 is rotatably attached to these four rollers 71.

Vertical belt 7 closer to the lifting rail 2
2 and the end portion 24 of the lifting rail 2 is fixed.

A counterweight 7 is attached to the vertical belt 72 farther from the lifting rail 2.

The counterweight 7 used has a weight approximately equal to the total weight applied to the drive belt 22 for lifting and lowering the lifting rail 2.

In addition, the counterweight 7 and the lifting rail 2
The end portion 24 is fixed at a position dividing the annular belt 7 into two equal parts.

Since the counterweight 7 moves up and down at high speed, it will easily swing if it is only fixed to the belt 72.

Therefore, it is desirable to install a guide rail 73 or the like to prevent rocking and to configure it so that it can move up and down smoothly.

<Operation> Next, the operation of the apparatus of the present invention will be explained.

<A> Product shelf 1 A large number of partitions are provided on the product shelf 1, and coordinates in the X and Y directions are determined for each partition.

The relationship between the items in each partition and the coordinates is then clarified.

<B> Waiting The lifting rail 2 and sliding frame 3 are returned to their predetermined positions and left on standby.

Of course, it is also possible to leave it at the last position it moved to last time.

<C> Lifting/lowering Enter the coordinates corresponding to the item you need.

This signal first activates the lifting servo motor.
M1 rotates by the rotation angle corresponding to the position of the signal.

Then, the elevating rail 2 moves up and down by a predetermined distance and then stops.

<D> Horizontal movement Simultaneously with the input to the lifting servo motor M1,
It is also input to the servo motor M2 for running the sliding pedestal 3, and the sliding pedestal 3 is made to travel on the rail to a predetermined position.

Therefore, the position of the sliding frame 3 will move in the X and Y directions at the same time.

<E> Rotation of the rotating arm When the sliding frame 3 finishes moving to the position determined by the signal, a signal is input to the servo motor M3 for rotating the rotating arm 4, and the rotating arm 4 is rotated.
rotates so that the arm is perpendicular to the article shelf 1.

<F> Back-and-forth movement of the hook truck When the rotation of the rotating arm 4 is completed, a signal is input to the servo motor M4 for forward and backward movement, and the hook truck 5 moves forward toward the container in the partition of the goods shelf 1.

Then, the upward hook 52 becomes the handle of the container K.
Reach a position slightly below K1.

Then, a signal is again input to the servo motor M1 for raising and lowering the lifting rail 2, and the servo motor M1 rotates slightly to slightly raise the hook 52 and engage the handle K1 of the container K from below.

Immediately after that, the servo motor M4 rotates and the hook truck 5 retreats to its original position.

<G> To the exit Next, the sliding pedestal 3 heads toward the predetermined exit 6 while rotating the rotary arm 4, raising and lowering the elevating rail 2, and moving the sliding pedestal 3 horizontally.

Therefore, articles are taken out from the partitions in the article shelf 1 in response to the signal and transported to a predetermined exit 6.

<Function of Counterweight> (FIG. 2) In the device of the present invention, it is desirable that the lifting rail 2 can move at high speed in order to quickly take out items from a predetermined position on the item shelf 1.

However, moving the lifting rail 2 up and down at high speed places a large tension load on the drive belt 22, which is inconvenient for moving the lifting rail 2 at high speed.

That is, when the lifting rail 2 is moved downward, it moves at high speed and suddenly stops, so a particularly large tension is applied to the drive belt 22 due to the inertia of moving downward.

Furthermore, when the lifting rail 2 is moved upward, a large tension is applied to the drive belt 22 in order to pull up the entire weight of the lifting rail 2 at high speed.

Therefore, in addition to the drive belt 22 for vertically moving the lift rail 2, a belt 72 is attached, and a counterweight 7 with a weight approximately equal to the total weight of the drive belt 22 is attached to this belt 72, and a counterweight 7 is attached to the belt 72 at the end of the lift rail. 24.

The counterweight 7 has a weight approximately equal to the total weight applied to the drive belt 22, and has a weight approximately equal to the total weight applied to the drive belt 22, and
and move in the opposite direction.

Therefore, a force that is always opposite to and almost equal to the force that moves the lifting rail 2 acts on the counterweight 7, and the respective forces cancel each other out and become zero.

Therefore, the load on the drive belt 22 is eliminated, and the lifting rail 2 can be easily moved at high speed.

<Effects of the Present Invention> Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be expected.

<A> The product shelf does not rotate horizontally or vertically.

The goods shelf is fixed on the floor, and only a lightweight arm moves to retrieve the goods.

Therefore, items can be ordered extremely quickly compared to a device that rotates an item shelf.

<B> All movements of the sliding frame in the XY directions, rotation, and back and forth movement can be performed only by multiple servo motors.

Since servo motors are capable of extremely accurate angle settings, complex motion settings can be easily performed simply by exchanging signals from the control device to the servo motor.

<C> A belt is attached in addition to the drive belt for moving the lift rail up and down, and a counterweight is attached to this belt that moves in the opposite direction to the lift rail with a weight approximately equal to the total weight applied to the drive belt, and Secure to the end of the lifting rail.

For this purpose, the power to move the lifting rail,
Opposite and almost equal forces will always act on the counterweight, and each force will cancel out and become zero.

Therefore, the load placed on the drive belt is eliminated, the lifting rail can be easily moved at high speed, and a desired article can be quickly selected and taken out from among a large number of articles.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the warehouse of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the action of the counterweight;
Fig. 3: An explanatory diagram of the rotating arm; Fig. 4: an explanatory diagram of the hook truck and container.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The coordinates of the pedestal are adjusted by the vertical movement of the elevating rail that moves up and down along the surface of the shelf that has compartments in the vertical direction, and the horizontal movement of the pedestal with a rotating arm that is slidably mounted on the elevating rail. In an automated warehouse that moves frequently, an annular drive belt and an annular driven belt are independently stretched between the upper and lower shelves, the intermediate parts of each of the belts are connected to a lifting rail, and the lifting rail and an annular driven belt are connected in the intermediate part of the driven belt. An automated warehouse characterized by the fact that weights of approximately the same weight are attached.